


Restless Nights

by Latte



Category: Tin Man (2007)
Genre: F/M, POV Third Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-01
Updated: 2013-03-01
Packaged: 2017-12-03 23:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latte/pseuds/Latte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The race to save the OZ, and Cain and DG's relationship from Raw's POV.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Restless Nights

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Tin Man or any of its characters

For Raw, the nights were the worst. Traveling with three humans was bad enough, but when they slept, or their minds weren’t occupied with the dangers of the Road, their emotions knew no boundaries.

That first night, when they huddled around the campfire still wet from jumping off the cliff into the river, the poor Viewer almost wished he were back in a Papay snare. At least there he’d only had his own demons to battle.

The girl, DG, was kind. She’d been the one to save him, even if the Tin Man had actually cut open the trap. Raw knew if the human female hadn’t insisted, it never would have happened.

One touch of her hand as they sat by the water and he knew she was sad, but when she tossed in her sleep, her dreams cried. More than that, they were filled with shrouded mystery and missing places as deep and dark as death. It made no sense that one so young would have feelings that his heart saw as old beyond her annuals.

The Tin Man was equally disturbing. He was a good man, a brave man, but he was haunted by unimaginable guilt and sorrow. During the day he was stoic and calm, a perfect balance for DG’s impulsiveness. At night while the other travelers slept, he sat awake, guarding them. His mind filled with anger and revenge so strong it gave the air around him a strange tang. Raw worried for him the most. He had set himself upon a path that was at odds with all of his beliefs. If he were to continue, it would bring about his destruction.

Glitch was curled in a ball a foot away from the Viewer. The strange man with a zipper in his head sensed the agitation coming from the Tin Man and the girl and wanted no part of it. The first hour, his sleep was as restless as his waking hours. He tossed and turned, his mind jumping quickly from one thing to another.

Raw caught glimpses of his dreams as they sped along, but he was unable to make any sense of them. They were a quick moving jumble that followed a timeline of their own making. One moment there was a beautiful little girl in a red velvet dress. The next a young man muttered equations that befuddled the poor Viewer in their complexity. Behind it all was the soft laughter of a gentle woman and the strong pull of loyalty. 

Just as Raw was about to whimper and crawl into the bushes to escape this strange trio, Glitch’s sleeping visions changed again. This time they were filled with the scent of cinnamon, garlic, yellow Papay fruit, and ginger root. The Viewer took refuge in the food that the odd man was dreaming about. Its aroma was strong enough to block the frantic thoughts coming from Cain and DG and the happiness it brought Glitch filled Raw with unexpected contentment. His shaggy head began to relax and eyes grew heavy. He was almost asleep when he was hit by a wave of intense fear coming from the girl.

“No,” Deeg whispered in her sleep and clawed at her neck. Her gasps brought Raw back from his happy place and startled the Tin Man away from his demons. 

Glitch turned over in his sleep and muttered, “Muglug.” As much as Raw longed to follow the deliciously scented dreams to their conclusion, he was pulled in the opposite direction.

“Easy, Kid, you’re dreamin’,” Cain leaned over and grabbed her wrists to keep her from leaving welts where her nails dug into her throat.

“Let me go!” She woke up fighting.

“It me. You’re all right.” The blonde man blocked the leg she swung at him with one of his own, while never letting go of her flaying hands. “You’re safe, Kiddo.”

“Tin Man?” she squeaked. Moonlight reflected off his light hair. His quick movements to waken her had sent his hat flying. For a moment she thought she was still asleep. 

“A…yeah,” his response was guarded and unsure as he stared into huge blue eyes filled with fear. “But…ah…it’s just Cain now days,” the hushed words tumbled out as he let go of her and pulled back into himself. He’d been trapped alone for too long and as much as he craved human touch, he knew it was too soon. To feel another person’s skin against his, even in the most casual way, was painful. 

“Oh God!” DG shivered and pulled her jacket away from her neck, taking deep raspy breaths. “Someone was strangling me.”

“It was just a nightmare.” The gruff man handed her his canteen. “Drink some of this.” 

“Thanks, sorry to wake you.” The cool water soothed her burning throat and she tried to smile, but the best she could do was a sad imitation of a grimace. “I could feel hands, they were dark with evil.” She shuddered; thinking about it gave her the creeps. “It was so real.”

“Yeah, nightmares can be that way.” He slid back against the log he’d been leaning against; his legs spread out in front of him. After straightened his duster that he’d been using for a blanket, he held up one side of it and looked at her. “Come here, Kid.” It seemed natural. It seemed right to offer her warmth in the night. He knew it was how Adora had calmed Jeb the few times he’d had nightmares. He told himself he was only following his wife’s example.

“I can stay awake and stand watch for a while. That way you could get some sleep?” 

“Not likely, Kid.”

“I…well then…ah…thank you, Cain.” She scooted over until her back leaned against the side of his leg and her head was pressed into his hip. Moments later his coat covered her completely and him from the waist down. “I hope I didn’t wake the others.” She peered over her shoulder toward two shadowy figures on the other side of camp.

“Naw, Zipperhead and Furball are dead to the world,” he grunted. “Go to sleep, we gotta make Central City tomorrow and that’s a far piece on foot.”

Moments later DG was sleeping soundly and Cain was watching over her as he’d been doing before. The fingers of his right hand were wrapped around the grip of his pistol and his left hand lay gently on the slim shoulder tucked against his thigh.

“Yeah, get some sleep, Kid,” he whispered and picked up his hat. He pulled it low on his forehead until only his sharp blue eyes were peeking out below the brim. Without thinking his hand went back to the butt of his gun, though he still rested the other one on the girl. It felt better that way. 

Raw lay huddled in the same spot he’d been in when Deeg’s fears sliced through the cool night air. His heart throbbed with the things it had seen. The girl’s terror and confusion were normal, but their source was something that made him tremble. It reeked of the Sorceress.

The more the Viewer tried to work out the problem, the more agitated he became. Girl, horror, Witch – the problem chased round and round in his head. It wasn’t until later that he realized that more had happened and he’d almost missed it. His heart had seen strange feelings coming from Cain. The outwardly self-possessed man had been filled with worry and something else, something sharp, taught and hidden.

Raw carefully concentrated on the couple under the duster. Something had changed. All the harsh emotions were there, but now they were bathed in a white light that could heal both humans. In desperation the Viewer moved his foot very carefully to the left until it was just touching Glitch’s hand. He used the Zipperhead’s pleasant muglug-filled dreams to block the confusion caused by the other two.  
……………………………  
Two days later Raw was huddled in a cell in the Sorceress’s Tower. Lylo’s body lay across from him. The tiny room echoed with the final thoughts of the dead Viewer and there was no place Raw could go to escape them.

She searches throughout the East for love. 

“Parents no longer know her,” Raw cried out. “Love dead!” His heart saw all that Lylo knew about DG and it mixed with the strong feelings he was seeing from high in the Tower. During their travels a bond had been formed that made it hard to block out his companions, even from a distance. 

The Sorceress was hurting Deeg, as she looked for answers. The Evil One had taken away the girl’s parents, taken away their memories, and their love. 

She searches throughout the East for love. The dead Viewer’s knowledge insisted. 

“Cain come, Cain save DG so she can save him.” Raw muttered rocking himself with his arms wrapped around his legs. He’d seen it during their long drive to the Northern Island. The girl was the key to the O.Z. and she was the key to the Tin Man’s future. 

She searches throughout the East for love. 

“She find love!” Raw shouted back at the visions that were haunting him. “Just not know yet.” 

He was cold, and exhausted but couldn’t sleep while he was being bombarded by strong residual sightings from the dead Viewer. In a moment of inspiration he did what he’d done the first night and again the second, as they’d driven through snow and ice. On that trip DG and Cain’s noisy feelings had rattled around the old truck and Raw had waited until Glitch was asleep before touching one finger on the man’s shoulder and whispering, “Muglug.” Soon the Zipperhead’s mind was filled with wonderful scents. Raw’s heart saw every one of them. With a smile on his bearded face, he’d followed them off to sleep.

Could he do it without Glitch’s store of scattered memories to draw upon? “Muglug,” he whispered and closed his eyes. His mind and heart reconstructed all of the other man’s feeling for the warm tasty soup.

Soon snores were all that the guards heard coming from that cell.  
………………………………………

They did it. They defeated the Witch. The battle had been fierce but Raw had finally acquitted himself for escaping and leaving Lylo and the others alone in captivity. He was looking forward to a peaceful night, in a room of his own, hopefully as far away as possible from the humans.

He tossed and turned for an hour before giving up and going to search out his three traveling companions who had become like family to him. The Viewer found them in Cain’s rooms.

Glitch was slouched in a large chair by the fire, a sleepy smile on his face. “I don’t understand it, I keep dreaming about soup.”

Raw rolled his eyes guiltily, but didn’t say a thing.

“You told me about muglug. Is that what you’re dreaming about?” DG grinned sitting on the couch with her legs curled beside her and her body tucked against Cain’s side.

“Muglug?” Glitch’s brows rose. “What’s that?” He looked between the two, who smiled gently at him. “Raw have you every heard of….what ever they were talking about?” His soft brown eyes were filled with uncertainty. He was exhausted and his synapses were less predictable than they usually were. “Hi, my name is….wait, I know you. You’re…you’re…”

“He’s Raw.” DG yawned and explained calmly. “That’s Cain.” She gripped the man’s hand as if she’d never let go. “And I’m DG.”

“I know that, Deeg.” Glitch laughed and let his eyes fall closed. 

Raw chuckled and spread out on the floor in front of the hearth. His heart saw the contentment that passed between the two humans on the couch. He’d become aware of it when they walked through the Realm of the Unwanted. When the tall blonde man touched the small dark-haired woman, it brought him peace and as long as she could touch him, she was strong enough to overcome the past and face her future.

“Raw,” Cain whispered tersely. “Pssst, Raw.”

The Viewer looked up, too comfortable to want to move, but the Tin Man had wrapped his arm around the sleeping girl and was about to pick her up.

“Help me out here, open the door to the bedroom. I’ll carry her in.”

“No!”

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Cain scowled. His angry expression usually kept others obedient, though it almost never worked on DG and wasn’t working now.

“Raw say no. He mean no.” He nodded emphatically; proud he’d found his courage. “Tin Man need Princess. Princess need Tin Man.”

“It’ll wake her if I open the door with her in my arms.” Some small part of him acknowledged that the Viewer had a point, but needs only led to pain and he’d had all the pain he could stand for one lifetime. “She’s exhausted from fighting the Witch. She’ll sleep better and be more comfortable on the bed.” 

“Princess sleep now.” Raw argued. “Comfortable now, content and warm. No move, only wake her. Make her sad.”

“Aw hell," he grouched. The damn Viewer had used the one argument he had no defense against. "Will ya at least hand me my coat so I can cover her with it?” Cain gritted his teeth too tired to argue anymore or so he told himself.

Raw brought the duster from the other end of the large couch, where it had been folded neatly beside a leather vest. His paw brushed Cain’s shoulder and DG’s temple as he spread the coat over them. “Trust,” he whispered. His body shook with happiness at the future his heart saw.

“What is it? What did you see?” Wyatt Cain had never put much store in seers, but after the last week he was beginning to believe in things he never thought possible.

“Sleep, Tin Man need sleep.” The Viewer’s depthless eyes met crystal blue ones. “Trust Princess. Trust self.”

Cain lay his cheek on the dark head on his shoulder and finally let himself relax. It felt good to hold his Princess as she slept. He knew his weapon was beside him on a small table, the door was bolted, friends surrounded him, and the Witch was dead. It was the safest he’d felt in over fifteen annuals. For the first time in longer than he could remember he let down his guard and fell asleep peacefully.

Raw smiled at the two humans from his spot on the floor in front of the fire. He’d caught a glimpse of their future when he’d touched them. It was a future that would impact all of the Outer Zone. 

Tonight the Viewer allowed himself to sleep freely, without the protection of muglug he’d needed for six nights. In his sleeping mind he saw all that was to come. 

Those two would never sleep separately again, though it would be months before they did so as a man and a woman. First, they needed to heal and understand the deep love that was growing between them.

He saw that they would create a force that would bring peace to the Zone and help bury hatred.

In a year’s time a crown would be placed on the girl’s head, as the Tin Man stood beside her, his hand on the small off her back lending gentle support.

He saw a small dark-haired girl with crystal blue eyes born and growing up knowing only peace, prosperity and love, until one day she too would wear the crown of the Outer Zone.

He saw it all and purred in his sleep, as the future stretched out before them.


End file.
